Tripod carriage for machine guns



Feb. 2, 1932. A. KRUM 1,843,393

TRIPOD CARRIAGE FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Dec. 10. 1930 flg m Z Kw W/ machine guns.

Patented F eb. 2,1932

ALFRED KRUM, or DUSSELDORF-VELLER, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR To'RHEINIscHE METALL- WAAREN- UNID MASCHINENFABRTK, OF DUSSELDORF-DERENDORF,

CORPORATION OF GERMANY GERMANY, A

TRIPOD CARRIAGE FOR MACHINE GUNS Application filed December 10, 1930, Serial No. 501,385, and in Germany August 21,1929.

This invention relates to a foldable tripod carriage adapted particularly for light The object of the invention is to provide a tripod carriage of low weight which, for the purpose of transporting or conveying, may be converted into a device easily to be carried on the back of a person which, however, on account of 1ts high natural stability offers in the position of firing, a good bearing for the gun and supports, without great shocks, the recoil on firing.

According to the invention the under carriage consists of a ring of small mass the cross section of which has a great moment of resistance. Said ring is supported by means of legs. Against the circumference of this ring which forms a flange or tire the upper carriage bears by means of a bracket, forming at its front end abearing for the elevating gear. Preferably the upper carriage is pivotally mounted in a hub connected by means of hollow spokes to the hollow ring. The upper carriage supports the gun in such a manner that it may be adjusted or oscillated in a vertical plane.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a side View, partially in section, of the carriage in a firing position; Fig. 2 shows a cross section through the trunnions and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the under carriage the legs of which are folded for transport.

The under carriage consists of the hollow ring a, carrying the hinged legs 7) which may be telescoped and oscillated about their hinge points from one horizontal position to another one through a. range of 180. By means of clamping levers b the legs may be fixed in any desired position. The ring a is provided with a pointing circle graduation and has a hub a which is connected in said ring by means of hollow spokes. The hub a receives a pivot pin of the upper car riage c which is secured against lifting by a nut m. A longitudinal beam 0 of the upper carriage 0 which, for the purpose of lateral adjustment, preferably is provided with a handle 0 bears, by means of rollers 0 against the ring a of the under carriage. Mounted in horizontal bearings 0 of the upper carriage 0 are the trunnions di ofthe forwardly projecting gun support d in such a manner, that this support may be oscillated through a range of about 5 downward inclination to 90 elevation. v The elevation is given to the gun support by means of an elevating machine which consists of a handle e hinged to the upper carriage 0 in the bearing 6 and of the pointinggear e pivotally-connected with the upper carriage 0 and the gun support d. The pivot point of the elevating machine 6 at the longitudinal beam 0 of the upper carriage 0 is arranged beyond the front roller guide upon the pointing circle of the under carriage. The rear end of the gun is movably mounted in a slide guide (Z of the gun support d. The middle portion of the gun is hinged to the front end 7 of the'gun support (Z, a well known recoil brake g being interposed at this portion. By means of a'handle 6Z3 which may be inserted into the gun support 65 a quick pointing of the gun may be effected by hand after the elevating gear has been disconnected. The front weight of the oscillating parts is hereby balanced by a well known torsional spring mounted in the trunnion casing .0 The'handle (1 may, if desired be used for the lateral ad]ustment and the handle c 'of the upper carriage may be dispensed with.

When the gun is to be mounted in' the gun support,'a-rear guide member f ofvthe gun is inserted into the slide (Z whereas the gun is connected to the front part of the support (Z, above the recoil brake g,- byclosing the clip 3. The gun may therefore be mounted and dismounted in the shortest possible time. For the purpose of transport ing or conveying, the gun is dismounted and the legs I) are folded against the. ring a, so that they bear against this ring'as may be seen from Fig. 3.- The wholecarria-ge then forms a flat package which, without anydifficulty, may the back.

What I claim is 1. In a tripod carriage for light machine guns', the combination of an under carriage be carried by one man upon in the form. of a ring provided with legs a hinged thereto and foldable flat against same said ring having a horizontal pointlng circle, an upper carriage rotatably and removably mounted on said ring, a gun mounti-ngrem'ovably arrangedin the upper carrlage and capable ofvertical elevation;

' and a recoil brake adapted! to take up the longitudinal recoil movement of the gun mounting.

2. In a tripod carnage, in combination an under carriage in form of ring, a hub, I

spokes connecting said hub to said ring, an upper carriage supporting a gun and :pivotally mounted, by means of a pin, in said hub 'of said undercarriage and telescoping legs supporting saidring-shaped under carriage and hinged to said under carriage in suc'ha manner as to be capable'of being oscillated through'a range of 180 and of bei'ng folded to Contact under said carriage.

'3. In a tripod carriage, in combination an under carriage in form of a ring, a hub, spokesconnectingsaidhu'b to said ring, an uppercarriage, a gunsupport swinga'bly arranged in a vertical planein said upper carriage, a pin on said uppercarriage pivotal'ly mounted in said hub of said ring-shaped under carriage and a beam of said upper an elevating gear.

carriage bearingagainst said under carriage, saidbeam carrylng at its rear end a handle of said upper carriage, a gun support swingably arranged-upon said trunnions, a recoil brake at the front end of said gun'su'pporit loosely-connecting said gun 'tosaid gun sup-- port, a slide guideatthe rear end of-said gun support slidabl-y receiving said gun, a pin on said upper carriage pivotally mounted in 1 said hub of said ring-shaped under carriage and a beam of said upper carriage-bearing agalnst said under carriage, said beam can 'rying at its rear end a handle and forming at its front end a bearlng for an elevating gea-iz' r 5, In a'trlpod carriage, in-combination an under carriage-in form of a ring, a hub spokes connecting said hub to-said r1ng,;an

upper carriage, trunnions at opposite sides =0f said'upper carnage, a gun support swingably arranged upon said trunnions, a recoil :brake at the front end of said gun support loosely connecting said gun to-said gun support, a slide guide at therear end of said. gun support slidably receiving sald gun, a

.pin on :said upper carriage :pivotally mount,-

ed in said hub of said ring-shaped under carriage, a beam of said upper carriage bearing against said under carriage, said beam vca-rrying at its rear end a handle and forming at its front end a bearing for an elevatinggear and a handle adapted to be inserted in sald gun support for oscillating said gunrby hand, after said pointing gear has been disconnected. I v

In testlmony whereof I have mixed my ALFRED. ,KRIIM.

signature.

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